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Illini Routed; ISU Tops Western; MAC With Big Weekend

>>Louisiana Tech Routes Illini

Louisiana Tech turned six Illinois turnovers and a 284-yard, four-touchdown night from quarterback Colby Cameron into a 52-24 road upset of Illinois Saturday.

Cameron's favorite target was Quinton Patton who caught six balls for 164 yards and two touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

Illinois (2-2) turned the ball over three times in the first quarter and the Bulldogs (3-0) cashed in for an early 21-7 lead.

Cameron and Patton connected on a pair of early third-quarter touchdowns that put the Bulldogs up for good, 35-17.

After missing the past two games with a sprained ankle, Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase was ineffective and left the game in the first quarter. Reilly O'Toole was 19 of 25 for 120 yards in his place.

The Bulldog defense sacked Illinois' quarterbacks five times.

>>ISU Tops Western

Darrelynn Dunn carried the load for FCS power Illinois State in Saturday's 23-3 victory over Western Illinois, rushing 29 times for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

The 15th ranked Redbirds (4-0) stayed perfect on the road this season at 2-0 and it is the first time since 1967 Illinois State has started a season with four straight wins.

Dunn gave Illinois State its first score of the afternoon with a 2-yard touchdown run at the 4:02 mark in the first quarter. It was the third 100-plus yards rushing effort in a game this season by Dunn.

Illinois State totaled 373 yards of offense against Western Illinois (2-2), which managed only 137 yards and a field goal themselves. A 21-yard field goal by Pat Smith with five minutes to go in the third quarter was the only drive ending in a score for the Leathernecks.

>> MAC Wacks Big Ten, Big East, Big 12

You could call Saturday, the Big MAC.

The Mid-American Conference racked up four big victories Saturday against schools from BCS automatic-qualifying conferences.

It started with Central Michigan winning 32-31 at Iowa of the Big Ten by scoring nine points in the last minute, the final three on David Harman's 47-yard field goal with 3 seconds left.

Northern Illinois took out Kansas of the Big 12, 30-23, and the MAC got two home victories against the Big East.

Western Michigan beat Connecticut of the Big East 30-24, and Ball State won another against the Big East with a late touchdown against South Florida. Willie Snead made a sensational one-handed 19-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone for Ball State with 1:02 left and in the Cardinals' 31-27 victories.

The MAC gave it a good go to make it two victories against the Big Ten as Eastern Michigan led No. 21 Michigan State 7-3 at halftime and trailed only 9-7 heading into the fourth before falling 23-7.

The day was reminiscent of Sept, 20, 2003, when MAC teams beat three ranked opponents. Those three big wins came from Marshall (over No. 6 Kansas State in Manhattan), Northern Illinois (over No. 21 Alabama in Tuscaloosa) and Toledo (over No. 9 Pittsburgh at home).

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